Tiara of Shigi
by Aberthrite
Summary: Yugi, Tea, Joey and Tristan meet a mysterious and secretive girl named Leigh. What is she about, and what powers could her tiara possibly possess?


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except Leigh and Jordan. There.  
  
Okay, I wrote this story way back in grade five and found it among my mountainous piles of homework today, so I decided I'd submit it. This was in my Yugi-mania phase and I just really wanted to write this story. Just so you know I kind of started it in the middle. I'll only actually write the beginning of it if I get reviews. It doesn't need to make any sense at the moment, you just need to think it's cool enough to continue with. Here goes.  
  
THE TIARA OF SHIGI  
  
Looks of amazement fell over the faces of all of her friends. How could she have defeated all of them with her bare hands? Then Yugi remembered. The secret to her tiara. This must have something to do with it. Leigh turned around. Determination filled her eyes. She was more ready to beat Yugi than ever before. Yugi wondered why Leigh, being so reluctant to duel earlier, suddenly had such a change of heart.  
"Whatever is going on inside your head right now Leigh, I hope you're ready for defeat." Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say at the time, it seemed Leigh had just gained confidence in herself and Yugi didn't want to take that away from her.  
The duel resumed. Leigh's determination had not faded by the time they returned to the field. She drew her cards and laid them down masterfully, never overlooking one of Yugi's strategies. There was not anything else to say about her than she played like she lived and breathed this game. She carried out complex chains and laid traps with ease.  
Yugi hesitated. He hoped the duel wasn't about to end for him at the draw of Leigh's next card. They were both duelling quite well. This was all about to change.  
  
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Leigh was winning. She had a grin on her face that was a mile wide, and . for some reason . so did Yugi . though he knew himself he had no chance of making a comeback. He just had a great feeling around Leigh no matter what the circumstances.  
Just then Leigh fell to her knees, clutching her head. Yugi could see a light streaming through her fingers, but what was it from?  
The tiara. So maybe I'll find out its power now. Yugi thought.  
Leigh shakily stood up, trying to hide the pain Yugi could sense she was experiencing.  
"I will leave now. Do not try to follow me." Leigh said with all the strength she could muster. "You have all been great friends to me," she turned to look at Joey, Tristan and Tea who, for the fist time were not cheering for anyone during the duel, they did not want to take sides. "I'm sorry I have to leave like this . but it is the only way."  
"Wait!" Tristan finally called. "Only way for what? This isn't making any sense Leigh!"  
"Good bye, don't forget me." Leigh ran off into the forest beside the arena in a flurry of tears she had held inside for so long.  
Leigh had finally came to a realization about the tiara. This tiara, Leigh thought, can grant to its beholder one wish, but in one's price of their own soul. Only the chosen one can unleash its true power. "I know what I must do."  
With Leigh running in fear a pain, she did not notice that someone was following her.  
  
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"I'm not about to abandon you!" Yugi was running to catch up to Leigh. They had gone so far together, did Leigh really think their friendship end because of a stupid tiara? With Yugi, Leigh and him were more than just friends. They seemed to share something together neither Yugi nor Leigh had ever experienced. No, Yugi would not leave a friend like her in a million years. He was ready to stand by Leigh at all costs.  
Finally, Yugi had caught up to with Leigh, and sensing Joey, Tea and Tristan were not far behind, tried to talk to her.  
"Listen," Yugi said, catching his breath. "I don't know what is happening in the least right now, but I want you to stop whatever you are going to do and think about this." Yugi watched as Leigh stopped and leaned against a rock. It seemed as though that tiara was draining the very life and soul out of her.  
He continued. "Ever since you arrived on the ferry that day, my life changed. That was the day a brand new friend came into my life. A friend I could open up to and not feel ashamed. This friend taught me that life is never worth living unless you have someone to love, and I respect that but . this isn't the right way to go Leigh. Because that friend that was there for me . that is there for me, is you. And I don't want you to ever leave. Will you consider any of this?"  
Yugi could tell Leigh wanted to say more. If fact, she did. She wanted to explain everything to Yugi, about the tiara, about her feelings. But all she could say was, "It cannot be undone." And she completely collapsed.  
  
Yugi was losing her and whatever was literally breaking her down was almost finished the job. Yugi was losing her. He took Leigh's hand in his.  
  
"Wherever you go, whatever you do, I hope you find your parents."  
Tea, Joey and Tristan arrived and when Tea saw them, she held Joey and Tristan back. "Let's just give them some space, shall we?"  
  
In nothing more than a whisper Leigh answered, "I will come back but as someone different. You will sense my presence, my soul. Do no forget these words and you will succeed."  
Yugi gripped her hand tighter than ever, as if trying to keep her with him. And with the last ounce of strength she had, so did Leigh.  
  
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"She's gone." "Get her deck" "Are you going to be alright? I m-" "Just go." Yugi was shaking. Joey grabbed Leigh's deck, brushing Leigh's unresponsive hand and shuddering, then backed away.  
Just remember, she will be out there, but not as herself. But what does that mean? Is Leigh coming back? Nothing makes sense right now! Yugi thought desperately.  
"Why is this happening?!"  
Yugi looked down onto the lifeless body of Leigh. Her tiara was dimly glowing.  
  
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None of them could believe their eyes. Joey nearly dropped the cards he was holding. Leigh was rising off the dew-laden grass and into the air. A soft wind blew against their faces.  
The tiara . do not forget .  
The warmth of this soft wind voice was almost tangible. All was silent. All eyes were upon Leigh, levitating a few feet above their heads.  
She was calm, serene. No one could break eye contact with her tiara, which despite Leigh's situation, was glowing. Yugi had to look away, he could not stand to watch this anymore.  
As he turned to look back, Leigh was there no more. In her place were millions of white sparkles, the kind a child would watch in wonderment as the last bits of a firecracker disappear on a summer night.  
Not all was lost though. The tiara drifted slowly to the ground as if it were the weight of a feather, and into Yugi's hands. Then, the same tangible wind blew onto the tear-striken faces of all of them.  
"It's yours Yugi, find a place for it." Tea tried to smile, a weak smile. You and I may not know it, but a smile can be a very comforting thing, as long as it's from the heart, it can lift one's spirits if given by a loved one.  
Yugi smiled back, wiping his tears and placing the tiara in his pocket. He did not want to look at it, he didn't want anything to do with it. The damn thing took Leigh, who knew whose life it could take next. Joey, who was frantically trying to sound normal again, to hide his emotions noticed that Leigh's deck was gone from his hands, but did not mention this. He smiled. "She sure does know how to make an exit." Tristan jabbed him in the stomach, hinting that his "condolence comment" was most likely not the right thing to do, but smiled anyway. Soon, one by one, each of them found one another laughing. Laughing with all their hearts. All of their emotions mixed together, pain, sadness, fear, loneliness, made . laughter. As they were all laughing about some secret memory they had shared with Leigh, a figure crept to the bushes beside them.  
  
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How do you like it? As I said, you don't really need to understand what this story is talking about, it's right smack dab in the middle of the whole story I've yet to write. So if you're intrigued by it, review this and I'll write the beginning and end of it. 


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